141 and 181 Class Fleet Withdrawal and Scrappage Dates

[228RiverOwenboy]

Please Note!

Currently, this is still a work in progress, and some info may be inaccurate; there are still a few locomotives without information, which will hopefully be added over time. Any additional info and/or corrections would be greatly appreciated.

1991

15/08/91: 191 was the first 181 to be withdrawn, having suffered severe damage after a runaway incident from North Wall that ended in Clonsilla on the 15th August. It was then recovered and brought into Inchicore where it was gradually stripped of spares. It was in service for (roughly) 35 years before withdrawal.

 

1993

05/10/93: 174 was the first 141 to be withdrawn from service, being stopped for a body overhaul, but instead was cannibalised for spares.

 

1996

May: 161 was withdrawn from service.

 

1999
22/03/99: 158 sustained a bent frame following a shunting mishap at Limerick and was subsequently withdrawn on the same day.

 

2002
December: Nine years after its withdrawal, 174 was scrapped at some point during that month.

Month unknown: 148 and 155 were both withdrawn sometime in 2002.

2003
May: 150 was stopped.

July: 157 was also stopped.

November: 188 was (again) stopped.

Month unknown: 158 was scrapped in the same year.

 

2004

November: 150, 157 and 188 were withdrawn.

2005
Month unknown: 183 was scrapped.

2006
September: 148 was scrapped on the 9th, while 186 and 159 were scrapped during the same month.

06/10/06: 172 was withdrawn from service.

 

2007
January: 181 was withdrawn from service, and 172 was scrapped.

June: 168 and 151 were stopped entirely, while 153, 154 and 181 were eventually scrapped.

Month unknown: 170 suffered a fire in Limerick and was then moved to Inchicore for repairs.

2008
31/03/08: 154 was withdrawn.

April: 149, 166 and 184 were stopped on the 4th, while 151 and 189 were scrapped on the 25th and 29th of the same month.

June: 165 was withdrawn completely.

06/08/08: 160 had been scrapped.

13/08/08: A week later, 165 was also scrapped.

29/07/08: 184 was scrapped.

06/08/08: 160 was scrapped.

13/08/08: 165 was scrapped.

19/08/08: 149 was scrapped.

20/08/08: A day later, 170 was scrapped.

25/08/08: 169 was scrapped.

28/08/08: 185 and 173 were stopped.

10/11/08: 192 was scrapped.

13/11/08: 173 was also scrapped, having been withdrawn earlier in the month.

27/11/08: 185 was scrapped just under three months after withdrawal from service.

12/12/08: 163 was both stopped and withdrawn on the same day.

17/12/08: Five days after, 163 was scrapped.

 

2009
24/02/09: 187 was scrapped.

20/04/09: 167 was withdrawn from service.

By the 22nd of April 2009, 141, 142, 144, 146, 147, 152, 162, 171, 175 and 177 were the remaining 141s in service, while 190 was the sole survivor of the 181 Class after 187 was scrapped in February of that year.

27/06/09: 152 and 171 hauled what would be the last passenger train pulled by an IÉ-owned 141, that being an IRRS railtour to Limerick, where the pair hauled a rake of 7 Mark 3s. Unfortunately, on the return leg of the journey, 171 suffered a hot engine at Thurles and the train was cancelled.

21/08/09: 141 was withdrawn from service.

22/08/09: A day later, 141 was acquired by the RPSI to be preserved, being the first 141 Class locomotive to be bought for preservation.

07/11/09: 190 was the last member of the 181 Class to be withdrawn. Working for exactly 42 years, 10 months and 10 days. Thanks to the efforts of the ITG, 190 was purchased for preservation and subsequently moved to the West Clare Railway for storage.

01/12/09: 142 was also acquired by the RPSI, marking it as the second 141 to be preserved.

 

2010
February: 142, 144, 146, 147, 162 and 171 would be withdrawn from service, although 162 and 172 were later reinstated as pilot locomotives.

22/02/09: Having suffered a brake problem at Ballyhaunis, 152 was stopped. It spent the last few months of service operating engineering works trains around the Mayo area.

24/02/09: Two days later, 152 and 175 were withdrawn, though the latter would be later reinstated as a pilot locomotive alongside 162 and 171.

05/03/10:  146 was withdrawn from service.

May: Two months after withdrawal, 146 is the third 141 to be preserved, being the first 141 Class locomotive to be acquired by the ITG.

25/11/10: 152 was purchased by the ITG and moved to the West Clare Railway in Moyasta, where it would be stored alongside A3R, 124 and 190 until June 2025.

27/11/10: 146 was moved to the Downpatrick & County Down Railway, where it resides to this day.

Month unknown: 167 would be scrapped sometime in 2010.

By the end of 2010, the remaining active 141s were as follows: 162, 171 and 175.

 

2011
March: While I have no information as to when 162 was withdrawn and stopped, the latest dates of 162's activity go as far as March 2011, when it was used to shunt B113 out of the siding of the Bogie Shop at the Inchicore Works. Photo: https://transportsceneireland.smugmug.com/RailSceneIreland/RSI-March-2011-Kildare/i-s9PCLgZ/A (25/03/11) and video: https://youtu.be/uMInBWUJXao?si=u-RTSOUsYetqslvN&t=77.

24/07/11: 175 was withdrawn from service.
November: At the age of 48 years and 11 months old, 171 was finally retired, having been the last of the 141 Class to be in service with Irish Rail.

 

2012
01/11/2012: 175 was acquired and preserved by the RPSI.

 

2016
19/07/16: 141 and 175, along with preserved 121 Class number 134, are transferred from Inchicore to Connolly shed for better storage conditions. This move was performed by 071 Class number 071.

 

2022
13/03/22: 144 was scrapped on this date.

After 144 had been scrapped, the remaining withdrawn 141s were as follows: 147, 162, 171 and 177.

 

2025
10/07/25: 162 was scrapped on this date; 162 was the second last 141 Class locomotive to be used by IÉ, where it was confined to pilot duties alongside 171, which was finally taken out of service in November 2011.

As of November 2025, the remaining withdrawn 141s are as follows: 147, 171 and 177.
Out of the thirty-seven 141 Class locomotives built, five are currently preserved, those being: 141, 142 and 175 (owned by the RPSI) and 146 & 152 (both owned by the ITG).
Out of the twelve 181 Class locomotives built, 190 is the sole surviving example, preserved by the ITG.

Edited 2 hours ago by 228RiverOwenboy
Updated

[228RiverOwenboy]

Updated.

[jhb171achill]

Interesting stuff! 

2011, thus, closed my personal chapter of interest in operational locos. 

145 and 150 were personal favourites - the former, as I watched it shunting the Limerick - Sligo goods in Tuam, and the latter on account of a cab run to Cobh, only the 2nd time I ever went there.

190 my favourite 181, as I did Limerick - Ballina behind it, with a train of two laminates and a bockety-looking 4 wheeled tin van not long before that service was withdrawn……

Edited 2 hours ago by jhb171achill